


show a little loving (shine a little light on me)

by ClumsyBookworm18



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Banter, F/M, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Friends to Lovers, Height difference, I am Jossam trash, Pining, Romance, Sam is in denial, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-09
Updated: 2020-02-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 22:33:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,589
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22623361
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClumsyBookworm18/pseuds/ClumsyBookworm18
Summary: Out of everyone in her friend group, she developed a crush on the one person that was off limits, not only because he was her best friend’s brother but because it was the oldest cliché in the book.Or: In an effort to get over her unexpected feelings for Josh, Sam decides to avoid him. Things don’t go as planned.
Relationships: Sam Giddings/Josh Washington
Comments: 14
Kudos: 115





	show a little loving (shine a little light on me)

**Author's Note:**

> I just wanted to write something fluffy/ lighthearted amidst all the angst that is my ghost story. This started out with a pining Josh but I wanted to see a pining Sam so bad and this is what came out! 
> 
> This is AU where the prank never happened, Hannah and Beth didn’t go missing, and Sam and Josh bond over the traumatic experience of taking a math class instead of the loss of the twins. 
> 
> Enjoy <3

_Almost there._

Sam cursed as her hand missed it’s target again. Whoever put the cocoa on the top shelf was seriously off her Christmas list. Sam tried to think of who could be the culprit, a hard feat since everybody here drank the stuff and was also taller than her. 

So much for the perfect winter getaway. 

It was the dead of night and everybody had already gone to bed. Except for Sam, who kept shifting and stirring while Hannah slept soundly next to her. Too much restless energy inside her body, her mind. 

A grunt escaped her lips as she got on her tiptoes and failed to reach the top shelf.

“All by yourself down here?”

The butterflies inside her stomach start to flutter when Josh’s voice breaks throughout the quiet kitchen. 

While Hannah had spent the better part of their trip trying to get the attention of her crush, Sam had spent her time dodging hers. It wasn’t that hard. One big lodge with three floors and plenty of rooms… Of course, there was only so much she could avoid. His sisters were her best friends after all.

She startles, turning to face the poster boy of mischief. She tells herself that her rattled heartbeat was because- and _only_ because- he snuck up on her. “Are you trying to scare me to death you putz?”

His grin was unapologetic. “Nothing wrong with the element of surprise.”

“Yeah. I’m pretty sure it has nothing to do with your knack for scaring people,” she retorts with an eye roll, ignoring the way her heart pounded on her chest- what his presence did to her. 

_Get it together, girl._ _It’s just Josh_. 

Yeah, just Josh. The guy she has a huge crush on and couldn’t do anything about it because he was her best friend’s brother. No biggie. 

Out of everyone in her friend group, she developed a crush on the one person that was _off limits_ , not only because he was her best friend’s brother but because it was the oldest cliché in the book. Sam hated the banality of it (not really) - thought it must be some sort of karma for picking at all of those rom-coms she’s watched with Hannah. 

Things had been going great when it just snuck up on her like a thief in the night. Gradually snuggled it’s way into her heart without her noticing. Until one day, the realization hit her. Hard. 

They had been studying in his dorm. In the midst of finals, the library was full and their favorite coffee shop was swarming, so they decided to go study at his place. Josh had fallen uncharacteristically silent. Their little study sessions weren’t usually this stiff, but since it was their final exam, he seemed to be taking things more seriously than usual. 

Sam was another story. While her mind refused to concentrate, her eyes kept sliding over to him, lingering on his long fingers as they twirled the pencil, on his hands as they tunneled through his disarrayed curls, the arms that were uncovered by rolled up sleeves. Biting the cap of her pen as she found herself studying his features instead of the textbook lying in front of her, her eyes trailing over the cute little crease between his brows, that were furrowed in concentration, going to the slope of his nose, the line of his mouth, the sharp edge of his jaw. 

It was when, instead of working through the formulas she’d spent all semester learning, she found herself wanting to solve the complex equation that was Joshua Washington, a boy she’s known since middle school but after all these years, still can’t seem to pinpoint. It was when he lifted his head to look at her, his eyes bright and green, in a way that had her heart leaping to her throat. She’d known Josh was attractive- it was a fact that had always been filed in the back of her mind- but in that moment it had hit her like a blow. 

Naturally, she panicked, tripping over words and half baked excuses as she ran out of the dorm, leaving a confused Josh and a clueless Chris behind.

At the time she saw it like a minor blip- boredom, hormones, _something_ \- it had been months since she’d been on a date after all. There was no way she was having a thing for her best friend’s brother.

But when they went out a few days later to celebrate the end of classes, Sam couldn't stop focusing on the sensation of the warmth of his thigh brushing her own when they sat next to each other. The way the corners of his eyes would crinkle every time he laughed. The feeling in her belly when the _Sammy_ rolled off his tongue and how he is the only person she allows to call her that.

Sam knew she was fucked with capital F.

She hasn’t told anyone. Not Hannah. Not Beth… How does one explain the very _not_ platonic feelings she has to somebody about their brother? 

Of course, there was no way in hell she was telling Josh. Her feelings might’ve changed but Josh was still… well, _Josh_. He still treated her the same way he always does, the same playful banter, always getting up in her space, all cheesy winks and cocky grins. Sure, he flirts with her- but he flirts with everyone, so it’s not like it means anything. From what she could see, nothing had changed on his end and as far as she was concerned, Sam was like another sister he didn’t ask for. So Sam treats him like he’s an annoying big brother. 

Except there are times she could’ve sworn she saw something different shift in his eyes- something more tender... 

Sam puts a stop to that train of thought. She wasn’t usually the type of person that runs away from her feelings. But this is different. Josh is different. Once her feelings are out in the open, they would have to go all in or forget about it completely. No middle ground. And if they screwed up… Not only will it complicate her relationship with him, but with Hannah and Beth too. Was she willing to risk her friendship with him, his sisters, because her stupid, _stupid_ heart flung those platonic feelings over to romantic territory? 

Truth to be told, it scares the shit out of her. So like the adult she is, she avoided the problem, which in turn, meant avoiding _him_ … at least until things go back to normal. Friendly. Platonic. They had to at some point… right? 

She maintains her impassive mask. Lest he gets a whiff of the emotional turmoil she’s going through at the moment. “Mind lending me a helping hand here?” The cuffs of her loose sweater slid back as she, again, struggles to reach up. She wanted her chocolate, dammit, and she wanted it now. 

A chuckle. “And miss the view?” 

“Hardy har.” Sam snorts, this time doing a little jump but to no avail. Thankfully she has her hair down so he doesn’t see the red heat creeping up the back of her neck. The patheticness of her school girl crush almost makes her feel sorry for all the times she’s teased Chris and Ash. _Almost_.

She’s mentally preparing herself to climb up the counter when suddenly, his chest is against her back, his body pressed to hers. She could feel the heat of his body through her sweater. Sam stills. Knew Josh felt her still. And even though she has her back to him, she could see in her mind’s eye that wicked smile that was so irritating and she secretly loved so much. She took a sharp breath as his tan hand reached up to grab the damn container with an ease she envied and put it on the counter, next to the other ingredients she’s laid out.

His low laugh was a tickle in her ear. His voice a soft rumble down her back. “You’re welcome, shortcake.” 

She elbowed him, not strong enough for it to hurt but with enough hardness to push him back, earning another deep, husky laugh. Let him gloat. He probably needs the ego boost after that snowball she threw in his face earlier today. Sam knows that even if she was standing at five foot nothing, she could take his ass any day. 

“And what, pray tell, prompted this midnight stroll?” she asks as she takes one of the pots hanging at the top of the stove and starts to add the ingredients, making sure to add enough for two.

Josh crosses his arms, leaning his back against the counter beside her. “Had a hunch there was a gremlin snooping around in my kitchen. Rules say I can’t let it feed after midnight or else we’re all fucked.” 

She flips him off, not taking her eyes from what she’s doing. 

Josh snickers. “I’m always up this late. There’s no rest for the wicked.”

“ _Right_ ,” she says, putting the cocoa powder back on a more _accessible_ shelf.

Their wordplay continues between the snowy wind howling outside and the occasional spoon clicking as Sam prepares their hot chocolate. 

“I feel like I’ve barely seen you,” Josh said casually, watching as Sam pours their drinks in the two mugs he hands to her. “A few weeks ago, we couldn’t go a few hours without calling or texting each other but now it feels like you can’t get away from me fast enough…” 

“I’ve just-” _Been avoiding you because I can’t stop thinking about you and the warm fuzzy feelings I get when I’m around you, and it’s freaking me out._ “-been busy. That’s all.”

“Busy,” he repeats, taking a bag of marshmallows out of the cupboard. He lifts his dark brows as he sprinkles them on their drinks, the corner of his mouth curving into a half smile that told her he was onto her bullshit. “On your winter _break_?” 

“I’ll have you know, Washington, that the holidays can be just as hectic as school.”

Josh clicks his tongue in something akin to disapproval. Sam is momentarily surprised when he wordlessly gets the syrup and starts dripping it into her drink, just the way she likes it. A few stray drops fall onto his finger. Her eyes drop to his mouth without her permission as he lifts the syrup sweetened finger to his lips. 

_Get a grip._

Her eyes snapped back to his, only to find him looking at her strangely. Sam grabs the mug from him, letting it cool for a moment before she takes a sip, the sweetness of her drink a tease of what his lips now taste like. 

Josh follows suit. He takes a gulp from his hot chocolate and pauses for effect, making a show of thinking too hard. “Not bad… for a vegan anyways.” 

She rolled her eyes. “You can admit that it’s the best hot chocolate you’ve ever had. I won’t tattletale, meat boy.”

“Smartass.” 

Sam smiles into her mug, taking a few more sips. The tension in her eased a bit. She’s missed this. They playful back and forth, the witty quips... just talking to him.

“Are you really going to tell me the _real_ reason why you’ve been acting all weird?” 

She snorts. “Oh, I’m the _weird_ one? That’s rich coming from you.” 

“Deflecting. Interesting...” Josh says, his gaze sweeping over her, from head to toe. “Seriously, Sammy. You mad at me or something?”

“Mad at you?” Sam sets her drink down, her brows drawing together. “Why would you think that?” 

He shrugs. “You tell me since you’re the one that’s been going through some great lengths to avoid me.”

An unexpected giddiness coursed through her at the thought of him noticing her absence. She squished it immediately. “Somebody thinks way too highly of themselves,” she crooned.

“Why wouldn’t I?” he retorts, starting to do a tally on his fingers. “I’m rich, funny, dark, handsome-”

“Arrogant.”

The retort earns her his trademark eyebrow waggle. “Exactly. The whole package.”

Despite herself, Sam’s lips twitched upward. She was no stranger to his charming and flirty nature- and the way he used it to get other people to lower their guard around him. He was a psych major after all.

“What aren’t you saying?” When she didn’t answer he shook his head and gave her an exasperated look. Putting a hand on her shoulder, he says, “C’mon Sammy, I know that something’s bothering you. You’re doing that thing where you can’t quite look at me.” 

She hadn’t even realized… Sam lifts her eyes to him stubbornly in a way that said ‘ _There. Happy?’_

“Josh, just drop it.” And hoo boy was that the wrong thing to say if she wanted him to lay off, but he was cornering her and she didn’t like it. So much for not raising any red flags.

Josh raised an eyebrow. Now she really got his attention. “You see, when you say stuff like that it doesn’t exactly convince me that things are okay.” 

“Why do you care so much anyways?”

“I care because you’re my friend,” he says softly, his hand sliding down her arms, across her wrist, until it finally reached her hand. “I thought you knew that.”

Yes, they were _friends_ \- had built their own friendship outside of the twins these last months. They’ve never hung out much before- had always been as close as one is to their friend’s siblings. But after they ended up taking the same class together (one that Sam had taken as soon as she could just to get it over with and one that Josh had been pushing back as much as he could), they bonded over their mutual hatred of math, becoming study buddies, and hanging out more than they usually did. But apparently somewhere between their study sessions, coffee ~~dates~~ hangouts and long text threads, the line between friends and something more had blurred on her end. 

“Look I don’t know what I did to make you so upset, but you know you can tell me anything, right?” Josh keeps pestering, his serious expression replaced with a smile. And not his typical boastful smile, but a smile reserved for the people closest to him. His thumb brushed the back of her hand so lightly that if she hadn’t been so hyper aware of his touch she could’ve missed it.

Oh she had it _bad_.

“It’s nothing. Really.”

“So you’ve been avoiding me for weeks because of _nothing_?” He frowns. “That’s not very friendly.”

“Yeah, well maybe I don’t want to be friends with you.” The words burst out without her permission. 

He lets go of her hand and stares at her like that was the last thing he expected to hear her say. “ _Wow_. Okay” His tone is playful, mocking, disguising the hurt underneath it. He forgets Sam can read him too. 

“Josh…” 

He doesn’t answer.

“Josh, I don’t think you understand-”

He let out a joyless laugh, one she didn’t want to hear ever again. “Oh, I understand _perfectly_ , Sammy. It’s not hard to figure out what you meant.” 

“No.” She grabs his arm, not letting him leave. “No, you didn’t.” Josh lifts his dark brows. Waiting. Expectant. Sam plows on. “When I said I didn’t want to be your friend, I didn’t mean that I don’t enjoy our friendship or that I don’t like you. It’s just that…” She swallowed, looking away. “I like you.” 

“ _Right_ ,” he says slowly, that satirical light still in his eyes. “You like me but you don’t want to be my friend. I definitely see how I could’ve gotten my wires crossed. My mistake.” He steps closer, his voice lowering. “If you ask me, I think you should’ve gone with the ‘It’s not you, it’s me’ excuse. Would’ve been much more believable.” 

“No! It’s not- I mean-” Fuck, this is embarrassing. Since when is Sam one to stumble over her words? “I like you as in…” _It’s now or never, Giddings. Like ripping off a band-aid._ She crossed her arms, her gaze flickering everywhere but at him. “I have feelings for you.” There. The words were out in the open. No take backs. “I don’t know when it happened, it was just _there_ . And I…” She shook her head, still keeping her eyes away from him, not wanting to see his reaction. “When classes were over, and we went back home, I started ignoring your calls and texts, thinking that maybe some space between us would help me get over it or make it stop somehow. Problem was, it _didn’t_ . I still had the urge to text you every time I saw something that made me think of you, which was most of the time because somehow everything reminded me of you. I kept thinking of you, how much I missed you and wanted to see you and hang out with you… And now everything’s awkward and weird, and if our friendship wasn’t ruined before it probably is now because I let my _stupid_ feelings get in the way. So yes, I have been avoiding you. No, it wasn’t because of something you did and I’m sorry that it hurt you, but…” She shrugged. “I’m just looking out for my heart.” 

Josh didn’t answer, and after that embarrassing word vomit, Sam wasn’t sure she wanted him to. Frankly, she’s definitely not in the mood for one of his jokes or a pitiful rejection.

God, did she really just say all of that to him? 

What had been a comfortable, companionable quiet had now turned stifling and she couldn’t take it anymore. She never should’ve said anything. Never should’ve come down here in the first place. Did she really expect not to run into Josh, a notorious night owl? 

Maybe now that he knew, he would make things easier and give her the space she needed to sort herself out. 

As if sensing her urge to flee, Josh’s arm shot out and grabbed her wrist. Sam found her back pressed against the island’s edge, his body close to hers, eyes pinning her down in place. She felt the flush that rose from her chest up to her face under his scrutinizing gaze but she didn’t break away. Josh didn’t either, he kept staring and staring at her, his eyes dark and intense. Sam waited for the lazy smile to break or one of his wisecracks, yet nothing came.

_What?_ She wanted to snap but kept her mouth shut. The schemer is clearly deliberating something. 

In an instant, his hands are at her waist and lifting her onto the countertop. Her hands instinctively go to his shoulders, her knees at his sides. She feels like a petulant child with her feet making little spirals as they dangle. Another jab at her height. “What are you _doing_? Put me down.”

Josh huffed a laugh. His hands were still on her waist. “For someone so smart, you can be so _dense_ sometimes.”

“This isn’t funny.” Her palms slid down to his chest, trying to push him away, trying to make some space for her to slide down, but he didn’t budge. Just let her leave with what little dignity she has left, dammit. 

“ _Sammy_.”

He cups her jaw, making her look at him. Her face is leveled with his and it’s hard to look away. Her heartbeat changed in her ears when he brought his face closer, letting the tip of his nose brush against hers.

“Just so we’re clear,” he says, his voice a caressing murmur against her lips. “I don’t go around chasing just anybody.” 

And then he kisses her.

Any thoughts she had about why they shouldn't be doing this flew out the window the moment his lips touched hers. The only thing she cares about is how his mouth is moving against hers, the sensation of their lips meeting over and over again. A welcoming feeling compared to all the emotions that have been warring inside her these last weeks. 

He runs his fingers along her face before his hand is sliding down to settle on the side of her neck as he leans into her. The tank top she’s wearing under her loose sweater had ridden up and a lick of pleasure went down her spine when his thumb brushes over the slice of exposed skin at her hip. 

Her fingers touch his jaw, they fan across his face as she kisses him back. Her legs curl around his waist, needing to get closer to him. It’s soft. It’s slow. It’s searching. His kiss is confident, yet there was a certain shyness to it. 

Josh nips her bottom lip in a faint bite before he breaks away.

Sam keeps her eyes closed, her lips are still softly parted. She’s too dazed, too light headed to say anything- trying to hold on to the warm feelings of utter contentment sparking through her. She meets his gaze, desperately searching for the right words, trying to figure out what to say or do.

She decides to stop thinking.

Her hand slides to the nape of his neck, tangling in his hair, tugging his thick curls as she pulls his mouth back to hers. She feels his smile against her lips and she can’t help but smile back. Because _this_ , here and now, it feels right. And when Josh wraps his arms around her, the rest of her worries and fears fade away.


End file.
